KO
by L.C. blip
Summary: Human/AU The name on the screen, e. , was a new one. Jack had never played against him before. Jack had his little group he stuck with, but he decided to let the system choose a random player for him today. He was not disappointed. They had been playing all night- nearly five hours. Now a series of related oneshots.
1. KO

K.O.

Jack stared at the screen; one brown eye twitching. This was the eighteenth time his opponent had killed him. His shooter lay dead in a hallway that had only one window. One _tiny_ fucking window.

"God I hate you so much." He growled into his headset. Deep gleeful laughter met him.

"Not my fault you choose the worst places to hide." The man, and he was a grown man, quipped in his odd accent.

The name on the screen, **e. **, was a new one. Jack had never played against him before. Jack had his little group he stuck with, but he decided to let the system choose a random player for him today. He was not disappointed. They had been playing all night- nearly five hours.

"You've done this six times in a row! How do you always get me?" Jack asked, exasperated.

"You're easy to follow. Try not thinkin' so hard about a place to hide." The man offered.

The scene reset itself and Jack was off again. He flicked through his armory of different weapons, finally deciding on something long range. _If he wants me to hide again, he is sorely mistaken_, Jack thought. He stealthily made his way up a worn down tower, up rust ladders, over holes in the destroyed metal mesh floors, and hopped into the room, via broken window. He crouched, and clicked his controls to look through his guns' scope. The brunette stared at the screen, brown eyes unblinking, scanning the area for any movement.

"Where are ya, ya little shit…" The voice mumbled. Jack chuckled.

"I took your advice, dude. Can't find me, huh?" Jack sneered.

"Oh, I'll find ya. And when I do your ass is grass."

"Well while I wait for you, how about getting to know each other?" He asked. Being an only child who moved around quite a bit with his mother's military position, making friends was less than pleasant. Jack had more 'friends' on his x-box than he ever had in physical schools.

"Alright, larrikin. Whatcha want to know?" Came the scratchy reply. Jack smirked as he saw the other player run behind a blown truck and into the abandoned building behind it.

"For starters, what accent is that? It's ridiculous."

"I'm Australian, ya drongo."

"Oh man, I've been being killed by a kangaroo? That's depressing." Jack sighed. He clicked a button bringing up an accessory screen. Smoke bomb, no. Light screen, no. Oh, a timer grenade. Perfect. Jack added it to his utility belt for later.

"I'm not a 'roo, mate. Name's Aster."

"I'm Jack." He answered then voiced a thought that had been nagging him. "How old are you anyway? You sound pretty up there to be playing live like this."

"I'm twenty-eight. How 'bout yourself?" Aster asked, Jack saw him flash by a window on the second story through his scope.

"I'll be nineteen in two weeks. You seem to be getting flustered, 'roo. Whassa matter? Can't find me?" He cooed.

"Oh I'll find ya, just ya wait." The smirk was evident in Aster's confident voice; it made Jack's skin prickle.

The younger man laughed. "Won't your girlfriend be mad that you're playing with a younger man instead of her?" He said suggestively. His smile widened when Aster answered.

"Don't have one, would never want one. Sheilas aren't my thing."

"Eh, mine either. Too much vagina in it for me."

Aster scoffed and Jack saw Aster's player sprint across the roof. He had to consciously keep from goading the older man, no need in losing another round.

"Why is an Australian playing with a kid from the states anyway? Don't you have tons of people on that glorified island of yours?"

"Who said I was still in Oz? I'm on the American east coast now. Pennsylvania."

Jack watched Aster crouch behind the wall and level his rifle. It was only a matter of time now.

"Well, what do ya know, me too." Jack flick a button and turned on the scopes laser. It's bright green light targeting Aster's heart.

Aster laughed. "Well aren't you a clever little buck." Jack fired, and his opponent fell.

He still lost the battle, only winning twelve out of fifty, but couldn't remember ever having so much fun. Aster congratulated him and had to cut their marathon short needing at least a few hours of sleep for work the next morning. Jack agreed; his part time job at the local game store was all that was keeping him sane while his mother was off shore for the next two weeks.

Jack hummed and took off his headset, checking messages on his account before signing off. A ringing tone stopped his hand as it hovered over the power button. 'New Message Received'

From: e.

To: jskate

I'm free Saturday, how 'bout I take you for coffee? My treat. 546-966-2341

Aster

Jack grinned and pulled out his phone. He dialed the number and waited while it rang, hands beginning to sweat.

"Hullo?" Came a familiar voice.

"Hey there, stranger. Free coffee sounds great."

Aster laughed. "Good to know. I'll call tomorrow and we can pick a place and time."

"Sounds good to me 'roo. Nighty-night!"

"Bloody root rat." Aster said fondly. "Night Jackie."


	2. Coffee

Coffee

Jack ran his fingers through his hair for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. He had pulled out his nice clothes, which isn't exactly saying much. His 'nice clothes' consisted of a long sleeve pale blue thermal, a dark pair of jeans, and his unscuffed black tennis shoes. A sigh from behind him broke his train of thought.

"Jesus, Jack. Can you be anymore gay?" An annoyed female scolded. Jack smiled.

"Of course I can Tooth, but then it wouldn't be PG. Seriously though, is this okay?"

Tooth, one of the only two friends he had bothered keeping in touch with, sighed again with a groan. "It's just coffee, it's not like he's taking you to a five star restaurant. Besides, you don't even know what this guy looks like. What if he's a total creeper? What if he's just looking for a fine, young piece of ass to chain up in his basement?"

"I doubt it. But it's always a possibility. That's why I'm finding out." Jack quipped. He loved making his friend worry. She always said he was reckless, so why not live up to it? "If he's hot I'm so doing the 'I told you so' thing."

She scoffed, "And if he is? What then? What will your mom think about you bringing home a guy a few months less than a decade older than you?"

That made him pause. How would his mom take it? But then again, who's to say that he and Aster would get that far? "Look, it's just coffee. If you aren't going to be a useful fag hag I'm turning you off."

"Fine, fine," Tooth paused, "I need to get going anyway. Gotta take Sandy to the dentist. He's getting his molars removed." She giggled.

Jack barked a laugh. "Please tell me you're taping it." She hummed the affirmative.

"I'll send it to you later. Bye sweet tooth."

Jack threw a 'bye' over his shoulder as he watched for Aster's vehicle. The older man had told him he drove a green truck, so it would be hard to miss him. The nails on his hands were practically gone; bitten off in nervousness. _Why am I acting like a junior high girl? It's just freakin' coffee. It's not even a date. Coffee is like a prequel to see if there'll _be _a date. _Jack thought. He settled for staring out the window of the third story apartment instead of thinking. It got him into trouble. Then he saw it: a shiny, very well taken care of forest green crew cab truck pulled into the side parking lot and parked.

"What does he do? That thing looks awesome!" Jack whistled.

He did a once over of himself in his mirror, then dove into his closet to grab a jacket. He wanted to wear his hoodie, but the deep navy piece of clothing was almost three sizes too big, just how he liked it, and would not be appropriate for today's outing. In other words- Tooth said no.

As he yanked on the arm of the jacket to free it from the pile a knock sounded at the door. Jack twisted, and managed to pull the thing out, and sprinted to the door. He stood on his toes and pressed his face to the door to star out the peep hole. A tall man in a dark brown shirt and tan jacket stood front of it. His hair was short and slightly styled with an odd blue-grey coloring and he had stubble connecting one side of his hair line to the other. His skin was colored a deep caramel, and his eyes… good lord his eyes. Jack felt his face heat in a blush. The man's eyes were such a bright green, the kind of green you see at the beginning of spring on a sunny day. The color seemed to pop and put everything else to shame. This man was gorgeous. Jack took a deep, steadying breath and opened the door.

"G'day, mate." He mimicked. Aster silently raised an eyebrow at him.

"Please tell me you aren't Jack."

"Ouch. I'm hurt, 'roo. For that, you owe me coffee _and_ a muffin." Jack smirked.

Aster sighed, with a smile, and stood to the side. "Ready?"

Jack nodded and bounced into the hallway.

~~~Line~~~Line~~~Line~~~Line~~~

The Café was a quiet one about ten minutes out of town. Only two cars were presently parked there. Aster held the door open for Jack to go through and then they took their place in the line.

"What are you wanting? I'll order and you can go grab a seat." Aster said, looking at the menu. He told Jack on the way that he'd never been to this particular place.

"Peppermint mocha latté." He answered then poked Aster in the side. "And a triple chocolate muffin."

"Go find a seat, larrikin." Aster glared, ignoring the muffin comment.

Jack picked a small, square table off in the back, next to a large window. He loved this place, and came at least once a week. The seat he'd chosen was the place he sat every time. Outside the winds had become blustery, sending colorful fall leaves flying about. The reds, yellows, golds, and purples brought a smile to his face.

In his admiration of the weather, he failed to notice Aster walk up and place a steaming cup in front of him. A triple chocolate muffin soon followed.

"Ha! You caved. I knew it." Jack said smugly.

"I want this to go well, so sue me." The older man said around the lip of his drink.

"Why? For all you knew I was some creeper."

"True. But then you opened the door. You are most certainly not a creeper."

Jack blushed. And since when did he blush this often? He wasn't some school girl. He'd already had this conversation with himself before this damn thing started. His brain should have gotten the hint. But he guessed he didn't mind much of Aster kept looking at him like that.

"Anyway-" Jack started, switching the subject. "What do you do to be able to afford that beast outside?"

He barked a laugh. "I work at The Warren as a bartender. I paint in my off time."

Jack stared. Holy shit. The Warren? That was the most popular night club in the six surrounding counties. It was always getting rave reviews, about its service, food, drink quality and atmosphere. It was a classy place, and had a line three blocks long every night.

"That's impressive." Jack said lowly. He suddenly felt self-conscious. Aster just smiled.

"What about you?"

"I work part time at a game store, and sometimes I give skating lessons at the local community center. Nothing as cool as what you do. But I'm planning on moving into my own place soon, with a couple friends of mine. I've almost saved enough." He answered.

"Good on ya. And don't romanticize what I do- I saw yer look. It's not as great as it sounds. The lights are annoying, the people are idiots, and the music gives me headaches." Aster groaned. Jack laughed into his cup.

The rest of the outing went great, as far as Jack was concerned. They talked about anything that came up. Aster asked about the move he was planning; Jack told him about Tooth and Sandy- how he met Tooth in nursery school and stayed pen-pals, now they talked every day; and Sandy was met in his first year of high school; a little mute boy who was picked on as much as he was. Jack told him how the two live together now, as friends, but wanted a change of scenery. They offered him a roommate position in a place they were getting here in the city and Jack jumped on it like white on rice. "This way I won't have to move anymore." He explained.

He asked Aster about his life and the older man explained that he was disowned from his family. Being Roman Catholic, their views didn't exactly mesh. Aster told him about an old friend, Nickolas- or North, that helped get him moved and settled in the states. He shared stories about him, crazy drunk stories that had Jack clutching his sides and wiping at tears.

Four and a half hours, three muffins, and two refills later the pair walked out and back to Aster's truck. Jack smiled the whole way back; hoping that there would be another outing, or maybe even date, with Aster. The drive back seemed much shorter.

Jack let the Australian walk him back to the apartment in an effort to spend more time with him. When they reached the door Jack hesitated.

"This was really fun."

"It was." Aster agreed.

The brunette paused again. Then he was hit by a thought.

"Can I take your picture?" Aster looked at him with confused eyes.

"Tooth said you were gonna be a creepy old guy that wanted to kidnap me. I need proof that you're not." Jack explained as he took out his phone. Aster chuckled and waved his hand for Jack to go ahead. He steadied his hand and clicked the image, thinking about how he was going to rub this in Tooth's face.

"Tha-" Jack started.

Aster had stepped up to him and had pressed his mouth to his. He was on pins and needles. The older man's lips were firm and slightly chapped, the stubble gently scratched at his skin. Jack sighed into the surprise kiss and wound his arms around a firm waist. When Aster pulled back, he wore a shit eating grin.

"'m free next Wednesday." He said. Jack smiled and leaned back.

"It's a date."


	3. The Move

The Move

Tooth stood in front of the Santoff Apartments. She and Sandy had finished moving in yesterday, now they were just waiting on Jack. He was so excited when she told him; screaming into the phone, unable to form a coherent sentence. She was excited too; she loved Jack like a brother and couldn't wait to see him.

Jack had told her he would be having his things delivered in about half an hour but he would be by sooner to help them. Any time now… There he was!

"Jack!" She shouted, running to him and enveloping him in a hug. He laughed and returned it.

"Hey Tooth. This is the place, huh? Looks bigger than the pics you sent." He whistled.

She drug him to the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. Once the doors opened Jack was once more pulled along behind a giddy Tooth. Their door was numbered '416' and Tooth opened it with a flourish.

"Welcome home, sweet tooth!" She bounced. There was a thump from one of the rooms and a small blonde man came skidding to a stumbling out.

"Sandy!" Jack grinned. He rushed to envelope his small friend. The blonde was signing away about how happy he was that Jack was here and about how much fun being roommates was going to be. The trio was visiting and laughing, sharing stories about the process that led them to this building when there came a knock to the door. The movers had arrived with Jack's things.

Six hours later everything important had be squared away: clothes, shoes, books, furniture. The beds had been made, dishes and cutlery put up, food bought and placed into the fridge and pantry. It was finally time to relax.

"I hurt." Jack groaned.

"I second that." Tooth mumbled from her place on the sofa.

"_Third_." Sandy signed. They giggled. Suddenly Tooth sat up.

"We need to celebrate." She said.

"_How do you think we should_?" Sandy asked.

Tooth looked at Jack and a smile slowly grew on her face. "Didn't you say your blind date worked at The Warren?" Jack turned to her with a raised brow.

"He does?"

"Let's go check it out!" Tooth ordered.

Forty-five minutes later the three were in line waiting to be let in. A bouncer was walking the line with a clip board and pen, occasionally talking into a headset. When he got to the trio he stopped and raised his list.

"Names." He said gruffly.

"Jack Overland, Toothiana Sing, and Sanderson Mansnoozie." Tooth told him.

He scanned the list, checking if they were already there, but ready to pencil them on if they weren't. He stopped halfway down.

"Mr. Overland is on here. You all together?"

"Yes! Yes we are." Tooth grinned. She turned to Jack who looked surprised and embarrassed.

The bouncer motioned for them to follow and led them to the front door. "Have a nice night."

Inside the club was enormous. The ceiling had to be twenty feet high. Lights danced over the patrons, floors, and walls. The music was thumping with so much base Tooth could almost feel her teeth vibrating with it. She looked and found the bar then grasped Jack's elbow.

"There's the bar. You should go say hi." She shouted and shoved her friend. He blushed.

"You think?"

"Duh!"

Jack weaved his way through the crowd to the bar. He saw Aster, smile wide on his tan face, juggling glass bottles of spirits in sweeping arcs behind his back to land in his other hand upside down to pour into a waiting glass. The older man was wearing black slacks and a black silk vest over a white button down shirt. He sauntered up to the bar and slid onto a stool.

"Hey there hot stuff, got any plans after your shift?" He asked.

"Sorry to disappoint," He started, focusing on mixing, "but I'm not interested."

"But you had to cancel our date 'roo." Jack pouted. Sticking his bottom lip out and looking up though his lashes. He fought a smile as Aster's head whipped around.

"Jack? What are ya doin' here?"

"We got done moving and Tooth wanted to celebrate. You can guess I was surprised when the guy told me I was on the list." He laughed at Aster's coloring cheeks.

Hours later Tooth and Sandy were gone, they had taken a cab purposefully not telling their brunette friend until they arrived home. Jack had seethed at them, making Tooth say he should ask Aster for a ride home. The Australian readily agreed, and when his shift was over at one, they piled into the truck.

They talk and laugh on the way; Jack points at the turns, and Aster follows until they arrive at the building. He insists on walking Jack to his door again.

"Thanks for the ride, Cottontail."

"Not a problem, mate. Sorry 'bout Wednesday, by the way." Jack laughed and waved it off.

"It happens. But you'll have to make it up to me now." He smirked.

Aster returned it and walked Jack back against the wall. "How should I do that?" He whispered, mouth hovering over Jacks.

"I have an idea or two." He said. Pale arms wrapped around tan one and pulled, bringing the two bodies together. Jack pressed his mouth to the bartenders'. His heart fluttered when he felt hard arms wrap around him, bringing him closer. He hummed into the kiss then felt a tongue run over his bottom lip which he obediently opened for. Aster took control of the kiss, lapping at the younger man's lips, sliding his tongue over teeth, against tongue, across the roof of the mouth against his. He rolled his hips against Jacks, relishing in the choked gasp that was pulled from the boy. He pulled away, rubbing their noses together.

"Am I on the right track to being forgiven?"

"Hmm. You're getting there. Maybe I need another example." Jack purred, ducking his head to lick a line up a tan throat. Aster shivered.

"Maybe we can take this inside?" His voice rough.

"Two more dates. Then my ass is all yours."

**Let me know what y'all think!**


	4. Finally

**Finally**

The date we had just gotten back from was hellish. Nothing went how I'd planned. First, I was late- almost half an hour, then my reservation got canceled. We ended up wingin' it from there. He picked a colorful little place Tooth had suggested, and then we stopped and got cupcakes from a food-truck on the way to the parking lot. I insisted on walking him to his door afterwards; if nothing else I might be able to steal a kiss from him again.

Jack had a larger than life personality. He was sarcastic and unwittingly sensual in everything he did. He always knew what tone to use to get his point across. His smart mouth and heated glances had left me harder than shit more times than I cared to admit in the last two months I'd been seeing him; which is why I was not going to complain when he beckoned me into the apartment he shared with some friends.

"Won't your friends mind?" I whispered.

"They're gone for the weekend. They both have hot dates." He winked at me, backing us into a hallway.

I leaned to press my mouth to his, careful to keep my steps even with him; wouldn't want to trip. He tasted like honey. The heavy sweetness invaded my senses, coating my tongue as he deepened the kiss.

"So I take it this evening wasn't a total bust?" I murmured against him. Jack chuckled and licked the tip of my nose. He twisted the doorknob and we bumped the door open. I kicked it shut behind me.

"You are gonna have to _genuinely try_ to fuck this up. Or is this performance anxiety, 'roo?" He purred.

"I'll show ya performance anxiety, ya little bastard." I growled, hands gripping tight to his waist to fling him onto the bed. He bounced, quickly getting to his knees and raised his arms to me. The brunette tugged my head back down to reinstate the kiss as his fingers raked over my scalp making me groan. I pushed him down and settled between his spread legs, my larger body covering his slender one. I loved that he was so small compared to me. My last fling had been similar in size and build; not exactly my cup of tea, but he was cute. Jack, though. He pushed all of my buttons in just the right way. The way he gasped as my hands roamed over him was like music. He helped me shirk his shirt, breaking away from me to get it over his head before crushing his lips back to mine. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, teasing it with my teeth. His hands gripped my shoulders, blunt nails digging into the fabric of my shirt.

Jack grasped a wrist and brought it to the hem of his dark jeans. I slowly popped the button, and ghosted down the zipper; separating the teeth one by one. He shoved at my chest to kick the offending garments off of him and I took the opportunity to sling off my shirt and rid us of our shoes and socks. I raised his leg to nip at his ankle as took him all in.

He lay naked before me. Chest heaving, deep chocolate eyes half lidded in lust, cock already dripping. God he was gorgeous. I wanted to bite and suck at his skin, leave marks on him he'd have no way of hiding. My jealousy surged as I vacantly thought of anyone else ever seeing him like this.

He pressed his foot to the center of my chest and gave a gentle push. I stood off the bed and watched, raptly, as he slid off the bed to his knees in front of me. Jack ran his hands up my legs and slid his thumbs into the belt loops to tug me forward a half a step. I gave a sigh as he pressed his face to my crotch, nuzzling me through my jeans. His hands slid around and made quick work of unfastening and removing the pants. His hands traced the planes of my stomach, lightly brushing against the dark hairs the began right above my bellybutton and trailed down. Jack licked his lips as he openly stared.

"That's impressive Cottontail." He said, a cool hand griped the base and gave a light, teasing stroke.

"I aim to please, Jackie." I smirked down at him.

He flicked the tip of his tongue across the slit, making me gasp. "Grab my hair." He ordered, and then plunged forward onto my cock. I moaned as the wet heat of his mouth encased me. His nose rubbed against my groin, my hands fisted in his hair. He moaned around my member as I tightened my grip, closing my eyes in ecstasy. Good lord in heaven this boy didn't have a gag reflex. When I opened again and looked down, my breath hitched. Deep brown stared up at me; lips stretched around my girth.

"Not gonna choke, are ya?" I said, more a statement than a question. He tried to smirk, but the effect was lost, so he settled for bobbing his head. He switched from sucking at me to dragging his teeth up and down the shaft as he palmed my balls. I would gladly say it was the best head I'd ever gotten.

Soon enough I had to stop him. I yanked his head back by his hair, and pulling him up by it. Jack yelped, but it turned to a groan as I pushed him to the bed, settling between his legs, and began grinding our cocks together. I thrust against him, feeling the slick of his precome smear on my stomach.

"Lube? Condom?" I whispered into his ear, taking the lobe between my teeth.

"Top drawer." He answered.

I rummaged around for them as I moved to his neck; biting and harshly sucking a beautiful red mark just below his jaw. He moaned.

I pressed the lube into his hand, taking the condom and pushed up onto my knees. His look was confused for a moment before realization struck. He spread his wide as he lathered his fingers; hastily sliding one inside.

"No mouth hugs for me? Selfish, 'roo. Selfish." His reprimand was breathy. He thrust his finger in and out a handful of times, then added a second and repeating the process.

"Don't you worry. You'll get yours another time." I told him, sliding the condom on. "Right now though, I want to be balls deep in that beautiful ass of yours."

Jack whimpered and inched in a third. His hips occasionally thrust up, the result of him brushing his sweet spot. I watched as he stretched himself; his fingers sliding in and out of view. His head was thrown back; eyes closed, and lip bitten. He was a scene right out of an erotic magazine. A sheen of sweat made his skin glisten in the limited light of his bedroom as I watched him. He noticed my staring and smirked at me.

"Impatient?" He asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe." I breathed and then grinned as he took his fingers out.

"How do you want me?"

"Hands and knees. Gonna need leverage for what I wanna do to ya." My smile was all teeth as I watched the flush spread over his face and chest, and his cock twitch. He quickly rolled over and leveled his chest against the bed, ass in the air wiggling enticingly. He looked back at me over his shoulder as the tip of my erection brushed against his loosened hole. The confidence that had been swimming in those brown depths since the first moment I saw him wavered. Jack was nervous.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya." I told him, soothingly running my hand up his back.

"I know. It's just- you're- " He stuttered.

I leaned over him, sliding my hand down his side while I kissed my way from the middle of his back to behind his ear.

"Tell me to stop and I will. The last thing I ever wanna do is hurt ya, Jack." I told him. He flicked his eyes to me and gave me a genuine smile, not a confident smirk. He was absolutely beautiful.

"Aster?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Fuck me."

I happily obliged. I pushed my hips forward, sliding into him at an agonizingly slow pace. In my haze of lust, and stoic concentration not to hurt him, I noticed he'd snaked a hand down to stroke himself. Jack's breathing was deep and his eyes were screwed shut. He only pushed away from me once, leading me to pull out and thrust back in to give him time to adjust. My hands glided over his back in an effort to soothe him. Jack's eyes were shut, and his brows knit together, as he stroked himself.

When I finally sheathed myself to the hilt I stopped. I leaned to press my forehead between his shoulders; I could feel his heartbeat.

"God you're big." He shuddered. I offered a breathy chuckle.

"Not gonna break, are- mmmmnnnn." I started to ask, but Jack rolled his hips into mine. Trying to impale himself.

I started up a slow, shallow pace. His quiet sighs washed over me, volume limited because he'd planted his face in the comforter. I watched his hands grip and relax, only to repeat, in the material.

"Harder." Came the reedy plea. I thrust against him as he asked. His smaller body rocked forward and he moaned, slightly annoyed. I knew what he wanted. But he was gonna need to enunciate first. "C'mon, man!" Jack whined.

"What the problem, mate?" I asked through my thrusts.

"Harder. Fuck me harder." He growled.

I smirked at the back of his head, just imagining the annoyed look on his flushed face. I pulled out and slammed back into him once, then twice, then three times. His back bowed as he screamed.

"JESUS! Right there, right there!" He exclaimed.

"Beg for it." I ordered. A hand went to the back of his neck and held him down.

"Please, please, please. I want it, Aster. Harder, Bunny, Please!"

My pace could have rivaled that of a rabbit. The wet slap of skin sounded like clapping as I drove into him. He felt amazing clenched around me, and if the undulation of his muscles were anything to go by, he was already nearing his peak.

My fingers coiled into the hair of his nape and I yanked him up. "Get braced against the wall, spread yer legs wider for me." I whispered. He obeyed instantly; Jackie was such a good little boy. His back was a deep curve, and the side of his cheek was pressed to the wall; A much better view of his face as I took him. His thighs were trembling as he reached to grope himself. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it behind him.

"Don't remember givin' ya permission ta do that." I leered at him. "If ya ask nicely, I'll let go."

His confident grin very nearly sent me over the edge. "Please- let- me- come- Aster." He said, words punctuated by thrusts.

I released his hand and wrapped my arms around his waist, bringing him as close as I could. My hips jerked erratically, my legs burned from the exertion of our sex.

"Bunny! I-I'm- " Jack gasped.

"Me too, Jackie. So close…Wanna feel ya, love."

He was an incoherent begging mess as I jackhammered into him, bring us both to completion. My peak was a groan into his back and Jack's was a broken yell into the wall. I pulled out and maneuvered him so he lay on his side so I could remove, and dispose of the condom in the waste basket next to the bed.

I made to get up but Jack yanked me back down. He nuzzled into my chest, placing I soft kiss to my heart. "Stay." He whispered. I nodded into his hair and wrapped him up in my arms. Not being able to say no to him was becoming worrisome. But I'd deal with it later; for now, I was content holding him close.

**End.**

Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Mom

Mom.

Jack looked nervously out of the corner of his eye; Aster sat straight and rigid beside him. The table they would soon share with Jack's mother seemed tiny, and was getting smaller by the minute. He had been dating Aster for almost four months before Tooth had let it slip one night while Ms. Overland-Frost was over for a visit. She had been very supportive of Jack, congratulating him on finding someone that seemed to make him happy. His mother, Marion, went through the whole mom shpeal: How did you meet him? How old is he? Does he have a job? When can I meet him? Jack was able to dodge most of the questions in favor of his own about her time off shore. His mother loved to talk about the submarines she captained.

The brunette was sorely wishing he could distract her like that now. Unfortunately it was not to be. The two had arrived early, and had taken their seats before Marion had pulled up. Aster was nervous, bordering on scared.

"How do ya think yer mum is gonna take this? Jack, I'm a decade your senior." He implored, running his hands over his face. Jack leaned into his boyfriend's arm and placed a gentle hand on his thigh.

"You're only nine and a half years older. It's not that big a deal. Mom'll understand, and if she doesn't we'll still be fine." Jack told him. He had already made up his mind about this situation. He loved his mom, she was all he had. But Aster was quickly becoming his everything. Jack was happier than he could ever remember being.

The door to the generic Mexican place jingled and Jack whipped his head around to see his mother walk in. She walked tall, with a straight back and even steps; her military training evident in her stature and gait as she strode to their table. Aster stood and offered his hand to her with a smile.

"Ms. Frost, I'm Aster Bunnymund."

"Overland-Frost. A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Bunnymund." Marion quipped as she sat down. Jack fought back a mild glare. This was not going to go how he wanted it to, he could already tell. Aster deflated a bit, which made Jack frown, and sat back down.

"So, mom, what's new on the sub?" Jack tried to distract her with her favorite subject, but it seemed she had caught on.

"It's fine. But I'd rather not talk about work when I'm here to meet your boyfriend, sweetie. I only have a few hours before I need to be back on base to start training a squad of cadets." She smiled at Jack, but he could tell it was less that genuine. She was not pleased about his choice in partners, that much was certain. No doubt she could tell Aster was a bit older than she was expecting for Jack. An awkward silence followed for a moment before Marion cleared her throat and spoke.

"How are your roommates, Jack? Everything still going smooth?"

Jack resisted the urge to groan. She brought up his decision to move every time they spoke, making sure he knew that if his finances didn't work out he was more than welcome to come home. She disapproved of him moving out, and tried to guilt him into staying. She would always tell him how lonely and quiet the house was without him there, and would always ask if he'd gotten a raise at his job, knowing full well that he was only making minimum wage. Her tone was almost condescending when she'd bring it up.

"Everything's fine. I've even managed to save some money up so me and Aster can go on a road trip with Tooth and Sandy this winter." He smirked at his mother as she frowned, smile widening as Aster's large warm hand was placed on his thigh.

"A road trip, all together? Will you two be sharing a room?"

Jack swallowed his chip and salsa then waved his hand. "We're getting three connecting suites. Tooth and Sandy are bringing their boyfriends too. We'll each be in our own room."

"I don't think I'm comfortable with that. No offense, Mr. Bunnymund," She started, giving Aster a slight nod, " but don't you think it would be a little inappropriate, Jack?"

"I don't see why. We've been dating for a little over six months. Inappropriate no longer applies to us." Jack chuckled and glanced at Aster. He was almost worried that comment would earn him a glare, but the Australian sat beside him with a soft smile.

"Aren't you worried what people would think?" Marion remarked.

"No. I'm not." Jack said haughtily. "And why should I care? They don't know me, or Aster. How is it any business of theirs what we do?" He couldn't believe his mom would say something like that. When he'd come out to her she was supportive of him, and had even tried to be more involved as a parent. "Where is all this coming from anyway? You've never had a problem with me being gay before."

Marion opened her mouth to speak, but closed it as she sent a look to Aster. Jack narrowed his eyes, an angry retort hot on his tongue, when the hand on his leg gave a tight squeeze. Aster was looking at Marion with a neutral expression.

"You're uncomfortable with my age, aren't ya Ms. Overland-Frost?" He asked.

"Yes, I am." She stated after a brief moment of quiet. "I know Jack cares about you; it's a rare occasion to meet someone he's been seeing."

Aster smiled at her. "I get it, I do. I know how it looks to a lot of people, I'll be thirty in a few months, and Jack is just barely twenty. Most o' them think I'm a pervert, but to be honest- I don't give a damn." He finished his statement with a chuckle, and Marion sat staring with wide eyes. "Ma'am, I care about yer son. He's an amazin' young man. And whether ya believe me or not I do my best to take care of 'im."

Jack was giddy. Aster was affectionate, but didn't always voice his feelings; his actions spoke louder. He spoke up, then, not wanting Aster to be the only one defending their relationship. "He's a good man, mom. I don't care about the age difference and neither does he." He paused and then looked imploringly at his mother. "I really like him, mom, and he's such a great guy. I really want you to like him too."

Marion sighed and glanced at Jack, then settled her gaze on Aster. "From what Jack's told me you seem like a decent person. You keep treating him right and we won't have any problems." She said softly, her tone belied her threat and it made Aster flinch on the inside. "I love my son, Mr. Bunnymund' even though I haven't been there for him as much as I should have been with my career…" She trailed off with downcast eyes. "But he's my world, and I just want him to be happy. I hope you can understand why I worried."

Aster nodded as she stood from the booth and straightened her blouse. Jack slid out to accept her embrace as Aster followed. They walked back to their respective vehicles together, pausing one final time as Marion placed a hand on Aster's shoulder.

"It was nice to meet you, Aster." Marion said, extending her hand to the Australian

"Likewise, ma'am." Aster gave it a firm shake and opened the door of her sedan for her. She paused before shutting her door, and looked back up to him, expression still carefully showing nothing of how she was feeling.

"Jack likes pumpkin spice cake when the holidays roll around. I'll tell Gram you'll be bringing one to thanksgiving." She quipped and firmly shut her door.

Jack and Aster watched her drive away, both silently thinking the outing could have gone better, but it also could have gone much worse. They were both in agreement that it was as good as it was going to get for the time being.

"She still doesn' like me, does she?" Aster deadpanned.

Jack groaned and leaned to rest his head in the middle of his boyfriend's chest.

"Nope."

Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. Life has been hectic, what with a toddler and ailing parents. Not to mention all the work I'm putting into my Gaining chapter fic. Anywho- I hope you enjoy the latest instalment, and please keep in mind that these are related one shot stories that follow it's own timeline. I will be writing and posting little snippets as I come up with them, but I don't really consider this a chapter fic like some of my other stories.

I hope you liked it! R&R please!


	6. Christmas

Christmas

Jack nervously picked at his hoodie. They had twenty minutes until they arrived at the lodge and Jack was already on edge. The guest list consisted of himself and Aster, Tooth and her fiancé Nick, Sandy and his partner Pitchiner, Jack's mother Marion, and his grandfather Manny.

"Will ya stop worryin'? It's not gonna be that bad. Yer mum's seemin' to warm up to me. What's the worst that could happen?"

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Two hours into the Christmas dinner and Aster was right, things were going much smoother than Jack had anticipated. His mother had grabbed up his boyfriend the minute the couple walked through the door and danced off to find grandpa Manny. She was delightfully pleasant throughout the entire dinner and only as the dishes were being washed and put away did he realize that his mother had been drinking the entire evening. He brought the revelation up to Tooth as he dried and put up another salad plate.

"Do you think she's that against me and Aster dating?" He questioned, giving a side-long glace to his friend. "I mean, she wasn't exactly welcoming about the age difference, but she seemed to respect my decision."

Tooth frowned and cocked her head, scrubbing away at the plate in her hands. "I don't know, sweetie. I don't think it has anything to do with Bunny. If it did, don't you think she'd be, I dunno, more hostile towards him?"

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment before dissolving into a fit of giggles and agreeing. "True. This evening's been really nice."

Tooth nodded with an amused hum and continued scrubbing the plate.

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Aster and Nick hit it off. The two were both artists in their own right, one with paints and the other with woodworking. They were discussing possibly going into a little side business together: making and selling Russian nesting dolls when a knock sounded at the door. Aster stood, finishing his thought as he walked to the door.

"That'd be bonza!" He laughed and opened the door; an older man stood awkwardly in the door way, his brown hair and eyes remarkably familiar. "Can I help ya, sir?"

"Is Jackson here?"

"May I ask who's lookin' fer him?" Aster questioned. He didn't like the look of this man. Who was he to come barging in on their festivities demanding Jack? The man just looked at him, annoyance clearly written across his weathered face. His mouth opened, no doubt to smart off to the Australian, but snapped closed as his brown eyes narrowed the slightest bit at something behind Aster.

Marion had stepped up behind him, another full glass of wine in hand, and was glaring at the uninvited guest. She sucked in a harsh breath through her nose, and let it out just as violently through her mouth. She cleared her throat before addressing him.

"Joshua." She deadpanned, not happy in the slightest to see him. "Why are you here?"

The man, Joshua, sighed and looked away. "I came to see Jackson. His birthday was the other day, and I have a gift for him."

"You have no right to be here!" Marion snarled, flinging her glass at him. Wine and glass splattered across the wood of the front porch, drawing everyone else's attention. Jack was the only one to get up and walk over.

"Mom, what's going on?" Jack asked. He was shocked at her outburst. Being in the military had taught her to always have a cool head, and Jack had never seen her loose her countenance. It was a bit nerve wracking, if he was honest. He placed a cautious hand on her shoulder and finally saw what the disturbance was. "Can we help you, sir?"

Joshua straightened and offered a dazzling white smile, too white and too big. "Jackson! You've grown up, son! Look at you!" He said, grabbing Jack's wrist and pulling him into a hug.

Jack squeaked and tried to push away, not at all comfortable with this stranger forcing physical contact on him; he didn't have to struggle long, Aster made sure of that. The Australian growled and snatched his boyfriend away.

"Who are ya? What do ya want?" Aster demanded, green eyes flashing in anger and annoyance. Who was this man to come in and invade their holiday, and touch his Jack like that?

Joshua returned his glare, bowing up at him. "I'm his father, and have more right than you to see him."

Jack still in Aster's arms. His father? He'd barely known his father. Jack was barely eleven when the man had left. Thinking back, he should have known; Joshua looked older, more worn and more tired, but still familiar.

"Dad?" He murmured, not breaking his hold on Aster.

Joshua nodded, gracing them with another bleached smile. He rummaged through his pockets, finally withdrawing a small envelope with Jack's name on it and holding it out. "This is for you. I thought you and your girlfriend could take a vacation somewhere this summer."

Marion scoffed and turned to the side, shaking her head. Jack looked on and sputtered. "I, um… I don't have one. A girlfriend, I mean. But thank you. I really don't need anything…."

"No, no. I haven't been there for you, and I want to make up for that. I feel so bad about what I did to you and your mother, Jack. I want to make this right." He said solemnly and pressed the envelope into Jack's hand. "If you don't have a lady, then who was that sweet looking young woman I saw in the kitchen?" He added with a salacious wink.

Jack glanced back into the house; Tooth and Nick were standing in the middle of the living room watching the scene at the doorway. "That's Tooth, er, Anna. She's my best friend."

Joshua looked about ready to deny the 'just friends' comment when Marion blitzed in front of them. "If he says he doesn't have a girlfriend, then he doesn't have one. You've said your piece, I think it's time you leave."

"I have every right to see him, Mar." He snarled at her, then glanced back to Aster. "Why don't you let go of him, man. What are you, some kind of faggot?" He hissed, looking Aster up and down with disgust.

Aster, retort about to fly out of his mouth, stopped short as he felt Jack flinch in his arms. The young brunette looked afraid, if the hunched posture and tightened grip on his shirt were anything to go by. The Australian hated seeing the boy upset, thankfully it didn't happen often. He looked back to Joshua, and opened his mouth.

"Don't call him that." Jack said, voice small but firm. Aster blinked, pausing as he closed his mouth, and stared at his boyfriend. "Don't you dare call him that."

"Jackson? If that's what he is, then why hide the truth, son?"

"Because if he's a fag, then so am I. This is Aster, dad. He's my boyfriend." Jack deadpanned, staring Joshua straight in the eye. He'd broken free from Aster's embrace and stood between his father and his mother and partner.

"He's your… boyfriend?" He stared and pointed between Jack and Aster, seemingly at a loss for what to think. The shocked look didn't last long as it turned to rage, his face contorting into a snarl as he rounded on Marion. "The fuck did you do to him, woman? My son is a one of them? A queer?!"

Joshua stepped forward, arm reaching for Marion, who steeled her face. Jack rushed from Aster's embrace to stand between them, shoulders squared and fists balled at his sides. "I'm gay, dad. I always have been. This isn't something I chose, this isn't something to get me attention! Mom has supported me through everything; all the moves, me coming out, even when Aster and I got together- even though he's older than me! None of that matters to her, why does it matter to you?! You weren't even there!"

*SLAP*

Jack's head snapped to the side, as he stumbled a step. He brought a hand to cradle his stinging cheek. Marion was quick to pull him into a tight embrace, hurriedly asking if he was alright, to which he nodded.

From behind them came a sharp crack, and a heavy thunk. Aster stood over Joshua, chest heaving and a snarl on his face, as the middle aged man lay curled on the ground as he clutched his bloody, bleeding nose. The Australian took a menacing step forward and thrust out his hands to haul the other up, bringing his face close.

"Don't you ever put yer hands on him! You touch him ever again and I'll break every bone in yer face!" Aster growled, fists tightened in Joshua's shirt before he shoved, hard, sending Jack's father sprawling into the snow off of the walkway. "You may not agree with the path Jack's chosen, but his bravery to live his life on his own terms is more telling of him as a person than what gender he's attracted to; I count myself incredibly lucky that such an amazing young man has chosen me out of all the men out there that would jump at the chance to be with him. You might be his father, but I know for a fact that I love him more than you ever could!"

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Jack lay curled in the plush blankets as he snuggled closer to Aster. The older man had been oddly silent through the rest of the holiday festivities and had gone to bed earlier. Jack's thoughts were still reeling over the encounter with his father. As much as it should have been on his mind, the only thing he was able to think about was the fact that Aster had said he loved him.

Shifting to prop himself up onto his elbows, Jack gently nuzzled Aster's stubbly cheek. "Bunny…" He whispered, smiling when dark brows bunched.

"Mmmmwha?"

"C'mon, baby, wake up. I need to talk to you about something."

Aster yawned and stretched, opening one hazy green eye as he sighed. "S'wrong Jackie?"

"Did you mean it? When you said you loved me?"

"'course I did. Love ya more 'n anythin'" Aster mumbled, sleep quickly claiming him once again.

Jack smiled, eyes watering slightly. He watched Aster's chest rise and fall with his deep, sleep induced breathing, and he watched the slight twitch of eyebrows and lips as dreams flowed through his mind. He watched the moonlight play across Aster's dark hair, that was beginning to streak with gray.

"Silly rabbit, love doesn't even begin cover what I feel for you." Jack whispered and placed a gentle kiss to Aster's forehead; he resigned himself to tell his man how he felt in the most romantic way possible. He didn't think it would measure up to how inspiring Aster's little confession was, but he was going to try.


	7. Fight

Fight

Two slamming doors and one argument later, Jack was fearing his relationship with Aster had run its course.

The Australian had been acting a bit off for over three weeks, and Jack had had enough. He'd confronted Aster about his odd behavior: the late nights, scant texts, canceled outings. Jack had brought his question out more harshly than he'd meant, though his maybe-ex boyfriend had overreacted a smidge more than he thought he would.

Tooth was being no help; snapping at him and taking Aster's side, making no effort to hide exactly how she felt. "How could you accuse him of cheating on you?!" She'd yelled. "He worships the ground you walk on, and you accuse him of not giving a damn about you?"

"What else am I supposed to believe? He never seems to want to see me anymore! He makes excuses to back out when we plan something! Hell, we've barely talked at all in the last two weeks." Jack yelled back at her. "It's not my fault he basically dropped me like a hot potato." He mumbled, flopping onto the couch and pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Honey, you didn't even let him explain. You just screamed at him." Tooth said, gently settling herself next to her childhood friend. "What did you think he would do? Of course he was going to start yelling back, you two are so similar that way. More stubbornness than good sense." Tooth giggled and pulled Jack into a hug.

"He just left, though. Usually we scream at each other and then talk it out after… But he didn't. He just left." Jack sniffled, tears beginning to prick at his eyes. "It was like he didn't care anymore. Like we didn't matter."

Tooth's heart ached in sympathy for her Jack. The young man had been through a lot in his life, and was so excited to finally have a stable home and relationship. There was the snag at Christmas four months ago, when his father had shown his ugly mug, but it was handled as well as it could have been. Jack had been so happy when he told her that Aster had confessed his love, even though it had only happened the one time and the man was halfway to dreamland when he said it. She hated seeing Jack cry, and she hated that the fight was mutual stupidity on both their parts, but there was no telling Jack that.

North had messaged her with Aster's side of the fight, and it seemed normal enough. He adamantly refused to cheating on Jack, and was angry that younger man wouldn't let him get a word in otherwise. He'd told North that he didn't know what else he could do to make the boy believe him, and was hurt and tired of the frequent arguments. Tooth had, in turn, told North Jack's side and they had planned on trying to help the two men bridge their differences with the ultimate goal of getting them to talk openly about their issues. It was not going as planned.

Jack refused to see Aster, his insecurities finally rearing their ugly heads as he began to shoulder all the blame, and resent ever bringing up his worries. "Ya know, Tooth… you're right. I was stupid to even bring it up." Jack mumbled, eyes glassy with tears. "I messed up. And now he's gone. He probably hates me now."

Nothing Tooth said could pull him out of his funk, as he cried on their couch. Jack let himself be held as he sobbed, burying his head in Tooth's neck with a heady grip her arms. Tooth just rocked him, and if she let a few tears slip out in sympathy for the sheer broken-heart she held in her arms, she didn't think anyone could judge.

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Ten days had passed and there had been no calls or texts from Aster. Jack had since stopped looking at his phone, hating the anxiety of 'maybe he did' and then the death of his hope when no notification appeared on his screen.

Tooth had been trying to talk him into just going to the Warren and talking to Aster face to face, but his courage, or lack thereof, wouldn't allow it. Sandy was the only one able to convince him the relationship was worth salvaging.

*Do you love him?* The small man had asked him, seemingly out of the blue. It was a simple enough question, easily answered with a jerking nod as they sat, waiting for Tooth to finish getting ready one evening. *Then don't you think it's worth a try to save what you have? If you love him you're doing a sad job of proving it.*

Jack had stared, shocked at the blatant statement made by their, usually, most soft spoken member. But he had to admit, the words hit home. Jack had promised himself that he'd show Aster how much he cared, how much he loved him. But he'd done a shitty job of it so far, and it was a sobering revelation.

Jack reached over and grasped Sandy's small hand in his. "Thanks, Sandy… You're right. Can you tell Tooth I went to the Warren? I need to talk to Aster."

Sandy nodded and offered a small smile, patting Jack's hand before shooing him out the door. He hoped that this would work, he hated seeing Jack so sad and morose. Aster didn't know how deeply he was loved by Jack, though it would be brought out tonight.

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Jack was surprised to find his name still on the list of VIP's for the Warren, and walked inside the club with a hesitant smile. This had to be a good sign, right? He thought as he managed to weave through the crowd to the bar.

His breath caught in his throat as Jack spotted Aster. The man was deftly throwing bottles into the air, flipping them and pouring them before tossing them up again to the enthusiastic cheers from the patrons. Aster's smiling through it all, throwing friendly jibes to the other bartenders, one particularly shapely lady turning all of his statements sexual and sending smoldering looks his way. Jack felt his heart clench when Aster winked at her.

He debated going up to the bar, but decided against it; fear winning out over his courage in the form of a text. 'Can we talk?'

He watched as Aster paused in his floor show and quickly checked his phone.

'Gonna call me a cheater again? No thanks'

'I wasn't going to… please bunny.' Jack typed with shaking hands. His nerves were getting worse; he could feel his heartbeat in his teeth as his breathing began to quicken. He watched Aster rub a hand over his face and then scan the crowd.

'Why are you here'

'Because I need to apologize. I was wrong to say what I did. I miss you so much and I don't want to lose what we have. Please talk to me.'

Jack watched, intent on seeing the man's face as he read the text. He tried to calm his breathing, taking deep breaths through his nose and released them through his mouth. The last thing he needed was an anxiety attack.

Aster flipped bottles and handed out drinks like the pro he was, effortlessly tossing bottles to his coworker and trading remarks as he did. The woman was bouncing and dancing to the beat, seemingly lost in the music as she downed one shot, then another, much to the agreement of her customers. She was so engrossed in her job, and obvious attraction to Aster that she downed one final drink and smashed her mouth to Aster's.

Jack's heart stopped, as did his breathing. Aster didn't push her away, he held the kiss for seconds longer than was really necessary before stepping back to the customers needing attention, filling each order with finesse.

The air seemed thicker, and the people seemed to close in on him, Jack gulped for air as he fumbled through the crowd and out the door. His chest hurt, his head was pounding, and his heart lay in pieces at the bottom of his stomach. Jack leaned against the wall of the parking lot, one hand fisted in his hair, the other fumbling for his keys. Damn his nerves, damn them straight to hell. He needed to get out of the open, get to the safety of his car and ride out his panic attack so he could go home. He could cry out enough of his hurt before burrowing under his blanket for a week later, but he needed to get to his car.

Jack's chest heaved and tears blurred his eyes as he felt for the handle of his door. He cursed as the keys slipped from his trembling and clammy hands, prompting him to just slide down the door and dig for his phone, there would be no finding the keys in his condition. Jack pressed and held the number two and prayed Tooth was near her phone, silently begging for her to answer as it rang.

"Hey sweet tooth. What's-"

"Tooth-" gasp "I need-" gasp "help…" Jack choked, he brought up his knees and laid his head on them, failing to control the sob that bubbled up through his chest. Tooth instantly began trying to coach him through.

"Jack, you need to calm down. Sweety, breathe through your nose. Where are you?"

"Warren." Jack croaked, tears falling freely now as his lungs decided to take the night off. It felt as though an anvil had been placed on his chest, breathing in hurt and his heart felt as though it would beat out of his chest and run a marathon and the adrenaline that rushed through his veins wasn't helping. Tooth was still talking, her voice low and calm, but Jack was beyond comprehending them. He was scared and hurt and wanted to go home.

"Jackie!"

Jack flinched, Aster was here. This was the last thing he wanted the older man to see; pathetic and sniveling, not even able to get into his car.

"Jack, look at me! Please, Jackie." Aster pleaded, worry etched into his voice as he crouched in front of him and lifted his head. "Breathe, love. Breathe with me, yea?"

Aster began taking exaggerated breaths through his nose and Jack made a valiant effort to mimic him, slowly bringing his heart rate back to some semblance of normal. Green eyes were wide with worry as he raked them over Jack's shaking form, taking in the tears and trembling and sniffling. He also caught the way Jack inched away from him as his breathing slowed.

"Sorry-" Jack started, only for Aster to pull him into an embrace.

"Don't." Aster firmly stated. "Are ya alright?"

Jack nodded against a broad shoulder, breathing in the comforting scent of warm earth and rain, the alcohol was an unwelcome reminder of earlier, but Jack was determined to ignore it. It had been too long since he'd been in Aster's arms, he wasn't about to ruin it now… not when the older man had his nose buried in his hair and was rubbing a warm hand up and down his back before wrapping around his shoulders while the other hooked under his knees.

"I have yer keys; I'm goin' to take ya home… if ya feel up to talkin', we can after I get ya sorted."

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Aster had refused to let him walk when they arrived at the apartments building, silently walking around to his door and picking Jack up again, the younger man was too out of sorts to argue and only loosely looped his arms around Aster's neck as he was carried.

Once inside, Jack was gently placed on the couch, a blanket was wrapped around his shoulders and a glass of ice water was placed in front of him. He hated how his eyes began to prick with tears, though they were shameful this time, instead of fear and embarrassment. Aster said nothing, just settled onto the couch, close enough to feel the warmth but not touching. They sat in a tense silence, not knowing what to say or do with each other.

"I'm sorry." Jack whispered, unable to take it. "I'm so sorry, Bunny."

Aster sighed and plucked Jack's hand into his own. "Do ya trust me?"

Jack nodded furiously, hand tightening on his.

"Then why do ya think I'd cheat on ya? What have I done to make ya doubt me?"

"You've been different… Like you wanted to be away from me." Jack whispered, keeping his eyes trained on their joined hands, he couldn't bring himself to look Aster in the eyes. He knew the older man wouldn't cheat on him, he knew. Jack barely hid the cracking of his heart as Aster pulled his hand away and sighed.

"I know I've seemed… distant lately. And I'm so sorry, Jack." Aster hung his head, shameful of the doubt he'd placed in his lover. "I've been doing a lot of thinkin' lately…"

Jack fought back a shudder. 'This is it. He's dumping me.' Jack thought as he tried to control his breathing and keep his tears from falling. The younger man fisted his fingers in the fabric of his pants as Aster continued.

"And I've come to some realizations that had me a tic scared. You have to know how important you are to me, don't you? You're my everythin', Jack. I had wanted us to be on better terms but… it doesn't seem like it's gonna work out that way." Aster murmured, turning to face Jack, once again taking the smaller, pale hands into his own. 'Just tell him quick, like pullin' a band-aid.' Aster thought, steeling himself.

"I'm so deeply in love with you, it terrifies me."

Jack huffed out a stale breath as he stared. Of all the things that Aster could have said, he was not expecting it to be that. He gazed at Aster's face, taking in all the nervousness that rolled off of the man in waves with red rimmed eyes as Aster continued; large, tan hands gripping tight to his own, as if the Australian was waiting for Jack to bolt.

"The reason I've been so quiet lately is… well I'm horrendous at keepin' secrets, 'specially from you… but I wanted to surprise ya." Aster rushed, quickly pulling out a small silver key and holding it up in front of Jack. "I've been moving into a new apartment… A bigger one. And I've been trying to get the courage up to ask you to move in with me-"

"What about that woman?"

Aster started and blinked at Jack. "What woman?"

Jack looked down, chewing his bottom lip. "That lady you kissed. At the bar?"'

~*~*~Line~*~*~

Nona was her name. She was new at the Warren and was friendlier than Aster liked. She was an outrageous flirt, using her charm and pretty face to con men and women out of tips and numbers. She'd been there for only a month and a half, but already a reputation of being a bit… loose.

The Australian had to stop and think for a moment, but soon remembered- much to his shame. He had kissed Nona, well- he'd been kissed by her. There was no kissing on his part, more just standing still and trying not to shove her away with a few harsh and angry words. Being hateful to a woman would hurt his image and tip revenue with everyone, but doing that to an attractive woman would be devastating to his career at the Warren. Hot women made the club scene turn, and it wouldn't do to break the circle.

In his defense, he hadn't known Jack was watching, but he was overwhelmed with shame all the same. He needed Jack to believe him when he said he was faithful, but could see the doubt and fear written clearly across the brunette's face. And it broke his heart.

"Jackie, you know I'd never cheat on ya. And I know ya don't believe me… But I'll do whatever I can to prove it. I'll file a complaint on 'er when I get back to work, I was going to anyway. I'm sorry you had to see that, and I'm sorry I hurt ya. But I need ya to trust me…"

Jack nodded, eyes still shining with emotion. But he reached over and brushed his fingers across Aster's knuckles, and the older man quickly enfolded Jack's hands with his larger ones. They shared a quiet smile before Jack stood and led Aster to his bedroom. Nothing would happen tonight, and they still had things to talk about, but the closeness was something they each needed right now.

Tbc…


End file.
